Promise Me
by timelordsfaultedthestars
Summary: Johnlock AU, where they foster three kids


Lucas's foster parents didn't like him out this late, they didn't like him doing anything at all. However he trusted his older siblings more than anything. He wandered around the convenience store at the edge of London as his brother Alex and foster sister Stephanie. He knew that Stephanie was buying cigarettes, and that Alex would pick up a magazine of some sort.

Stephanie was fifteen, with beautiful, straight, blonde hair that touched the bottom of her rib cage. She wore a large amount of eye shadow, and a peplum top with skinny jeans and brown wedges. Lucas knew she was smarter than she led on, she did well in school, but she used her looks to stay alive. She slept over at people's houses as much as possible to avoid their foster parents, and being fifteen it was easier to convince a boy that she needed some place to stay.

Alex was twelve, and thought he knew everything. The foster parents may have abused all three of them, but Alex knew how to avoid it and was teaching Lucas and Stephanie. He was slightly condescending, but he knew the times when the three could sneak out and avoid their belligerent foster mother and their drunk foster father. He wore the same two shirts and the same two jeans with dirty gym shoes. He was a pompous ass at times, but he was incredibly protective.

Lucas was only seven, with Alex as his biological brother. He was quiet and observed everything. Each child had their own way of staying on their feet, but Lucas knew how to hide, and how to disassociate from any pain. Lucas had short black hair and followed Alex around everywhere. Alex was teaching him how to shoplift, so that they could stop sharing the same four articles of clothing, but Lucas knew he could shoplift easily, he just didn't want to.

As Lucas wandered around he heard the bell on top of the door ring. He looked at Stephanie whose eyes turned wide, as their mother walked in.

"What the hell are you doing here?" their foster mother asked.

_Trying to get some food, because you don't feed us_ Lucas thought.

"I just wanted some gum." Alex blurted out.

"What part of get home after school, do you not fucking understand?" she yelled.

"They asked for gum and it was on the way home." Stephanie said.

"Shut up you bitch. You took your brothers so that you could whore yourself out? Don't I do enough?"

_No_ Lucas thought.

"You're coming home now."

The kids were all quiet and fear struck, their mother constantly disappeared, and they knew she was just in there for cigarettes. When they got home they knew what was coming. It was 3pm, meaning their foster father was passed out drunk in the bathtub by now. Stephanie always got it worst, considering she was the oldest, and wanted to fight back. Today she broke out the glasses from the dishwasher and started throwing them. Each kid got a substantial amount of glass thrown at them, and stuck at them. Lucas had a shard stuck in his should and as his shirt turned red and he fell over he wished the same thing as always.

_Please God get me out of here._

As the yelling started to fade, the door burst open. Their foster mother put up a fight as they put her in handcuffs. Lucas heard she was being arrested on counts of child abuse, and the unsuspected charge of murder of her boss. A grey haired man ordered the curly haired woman to call the police, as a sandy haired man bent down and surveyed the situation from a medical point of view. Then a man with black-curly hair helped the sandy hair man. The next thing Lucas knew people were coming to pick him up and he was out.

….

John had fought in the war, he had seen gruesome, but seeing those little kids on the floor, surrounded by their own blood was far too much. He loved kids, and he just wanted to help them, but he knew Sherlock wouldn't adopt. They hadn't been together for that long, and Sherlock wasn't exactly kid-friendly.

Sherlock had busted plenty of murder cases but he tried to be gentle around children. He looked at John and started to deduce.

_He wants to help these kids_

_But he's worried about me_

They walked to the station and went up to Lestrade.

"Thank you again Sherlock, you have saved these kids' lives." Lestrade said.

"Where will they be going?" John asked.

"Probably into the foster system."

"Is there any way that we could take the kids, even just one?"

"I wouldn't advise splitting them up, or having them near Sherlock."

Sherlock looked hurt by the comment.

"Why don't you go meet the children at the hospital?" Lestrade sighed.

John agreed and they went over to the hospital.

"Are you sure you want to get invested in this?" Lestrade asked before they entered the room.

"Yes." Sherlock answered, doing a little smile and wink.

They entered the room of the youngest boy Lucas.

"This is Lucas, he's seven, and very quiet."

Lucas opened his eyes, but immediately shut them upon seeing other people. He analyzed the glimpse he got, and realized they want to take care of him.

"It's all of us or none of us." Lucas said in a quiet tone, interrupting the conversation.

"Hi, I'm John and this is Sherlock," John said pointing to Sherlock. "We would like to take care of you for a few weeks."

"Alex and Stephanie-."

"Them too." Sherlock replied.

They then went and met the other kids who had been waiting for Lucas, and had been released earlier.

"So we can just be thrown around like property?" Stephanie asked, after some small talk.

"It's not like that." John replied.

"John she's right." Sherlock said.

"See, Alex, Lucas, and I are leaving." Stephanie said.

"You can't do that." Lestrade interrupted.

Stephanie rolled her eyes and sat back down.

"However, we can care for you instead of you being stuck in a system."

"Sherlock," John said, glaring, as he pulled Sherlock off to the side.

"I know teenagers like her, she needs toughness."

"She came out of an abusive home, try being nice."

They went back and sized up Stephanie, while Alex was going to a vending machine.

"You have to promise they're going to be okay."

"Yes all three of you will live with us for a few weeks, alright?" John replied.

Stephanie nodded, knowing everything would be alright.

They opened the door again and told Lucas the news, he smiled, and they also said that he would be released today. They gathered their things and left the hospital. Stephanie guarded her brothers and they took a tightly packed cab. John made small talk while Sherlock stayed quiet. Lucas took an immediate liking to Sherlock, and Sherlock knew it. For the first time Lucas felt like things were going to be alright.


End file.
